Fang's Bites

The Fang’s Bites College Basketball TV Awards: NCAA Tournament Edition

Last month, I gave you my College Basketball TV Awards for the 2012-13 regular season. As promised, I’ll provide you with the NCAA Tournament Edition featuring my picks for Final Four, Regional Final and First Week levels. Those not worthy and there will be a couple, will get the infamous Carton of Chinese Cigarettes handed out from the 2008 Summer Olympics in Communist China.

I’ll provide the awards first for play-by-play, then game analysts, reporters and finally the studio.

PLAY-BY-PLAY

Final Four Level

Marv Albert, Ian Eagle, Kevin Harlan – Marv is Marvelous. The man is a Hall of Fame announcer and during the Michigan-Kansas game, was able to pick up on the Wolverines’ comeback late in the second half and his call of Trey Burke’s three pointer to tie the game was perfectly understated.

Ian Eagle showed his versatility in calling NCAA Tournament games on both TV and radio. Does both well and allows the action to come to him. Ian had a very good call of the Davidson-Marquette game that went down to the wire.

Kevin Harlan was outstanding especially as Ohio State’s Aaron Craft hit a jumper with :02 in its Sweet Sixteen game against Arizona.

Regional Final Level

Brian Anderson, Verne Lundquist, Jim Nantz – Having this trio in the Tournament shows some very good depth on the CBS/Turner Consortium. Brian Anderson is a rising star. Calls games on Big Ten Network during the winters, then moves to his best sport, baseball for the Milwaukee Brewers and TBS Sunday Afternoon games. Could easily be on a Regional Final team down the line.

What can you say about Uncle Verne Lundquist that hasn’t already been said? He and Bill Raftery form one of the fun broadcast teams and you know that Verne plays the perfect straight man to Raft. He’s perfect at the Regional Final level.

Jim Nantz is perfect here. He would go higher except that he calls only one to two regular season games a season, yet he’s on the “A” team that goes to the Final Four. Nantz calls a good game, but I think there are several announcers who are better.

First Week Level

Tim Brando – Tim is good, but sometimes falls back on cliches. He’s perfect on the ACC Tournament on the Raycom-produced ACC Network. A nice fit with long-time partner Mike Gminski.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Spero Dedes – Dedes provided some real lackluster and sleep-inducing calls. When Harvard upset New Mexico, Dedes failed to rise to the occasion and when the game ended, he gave us quite a forgettable call. His partner, Doug Gottlieb overpowered him at times.

ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr, Bill Raftery – Clark Kellogg knows his stuff and provides good analysis of the action. He’s able to spot trends and finds the right words. He also stepped up during the Louisville-Duke game when Kevin Ware broke his leg in a horrific sequence. And as Jim Nantz tried to collect himself in the minutes following the injury, Kellogg did his best to describe the emotions on the court.

When Steve Kerr found out that he was going to call the NCAA Tournament three years ago, he found work with Fox Sports to call Sunday night Pac-10 games and quickly got re-immersed in the college game. It was that preparation that puts him on the Final Four Level. And teamed with Marv Albert for the first two weeks of the Tournament, Kerr provides some really good tidbits especially during Michigan-Kansas.

Bill Raftery is the Mayor of College Basketball. Perfectly teamed with Uncle Verne Lundquist, Raft provides great anecdotes, one-liners and always knows when to use his signature “ONIONS!” call. I’d love for Raft to call a Final Four on TV, but you can always hear him on radio for the event.

Regional Final Level

Len Elmore and Jim Spanarkel – Len was the last ESPN exclusive holdover to remain on the Tournament after Turner came on board. Jay Bilas wasn’t kept and while Bill Raftery also works for ESPN, he does games for CBS during the regular season, pulling a rare network double. Elmore when Reggie Miller doesn’t step all over him, provides some salient points. He really could work solo with Kevin Harlan and doesn’t need Miller along side.

Jim Spanarkel works very well with Ian Eagle. It’s hard to believe that they’ve worked 17 previous tournaments together and they’re a very good team. Spanarkel was on top of trends especially when Marquette was coming back on Davidson in the second round.

First Week Level

Dan Bonner and Mike Gminski – Both ACC Network veterans, Bonner and Gminski are perfect analysts for the first weekend of games.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb and Reggie Miller – Gottlieb will harp on points to where you want him to shut up. Reggie Miller must have pictures on a network executive somewhere as he’s a terrible analyst. I understand calling NCAA Tournament games was a dream for Gottlieb, but CBS/Turner should pull the plug on him working games next year. As for Miller, he’s basketball’s version of Marcelo Balboa, a person who makes statements just to hear himself talk and makes ridiculous points.

REPORTERS

Final Four Level

Jamie Maggio, Rachel Nichols, Craig Sager

Regional Final Level

Lewis Johnson, Marty Snider, Tracy “The Wolf” Wolfson

First Week Level

Allie LaForce, Otis Livingston

STUDIO HOSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson, Jr.

Regional Final Level

Matt Winer

STUDIO ANALYSTS

Final Four Level

Greg Anthony

Regional Final Level

Seth Davis and Steve Smith

First Week Level

Charles Barkley and Kenny “The Jet” Smith – I understand why Barkley and Smith are there, but they’re much better on the NBA than college basketball. Charles’ candor on the NBA works against him on the Tournament as in the case where he harped against the Big Ten.

Carton of Chinese Cigarettes

Doug Gottlieb — Who else? Failed joke aside, Gottlieb has not differentiated himself from the pack. He overpowers people on the set. He comes off as abrasive as sandpaper.

So there you have the Awards for the 2013 NCAA Tournament.

CBS/ Turner Unveil 2013 NCAA Tournament Announcing Teams

Announced today by the CBS/Turner Sports consortium for the 2013 NCAA Tournament, the 75th incarnation of college basketball’s national championship, will be the men and women who will be in front of the camera this year. As usual, Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg and Steve Kerr will work the Final Four™ from Atlanta.

Some changes from last year, first Doug Gottlieb who came to CBS from ESPN late last year will call 2nd and 3rd round games with Spero Dedes replacing Bob Wenzel. Lesley Visser becomes a special contributor to the studio shows, leaving the sidelines. Rachel Nichols of Turner Sports takes her place on the team of Uncle Verne Lundquist and Bill Raftery. And Allie LaForce, co-host of CBS Sports Network’s Lead Off with the aforementioned Gottlieb will work the sidelines as well with Ian Eagle and Jim Spanarkel.

Your regional final teams will be Nantz/Kellogg/Tracy Wolfson, Marv Albert/Steve Kerr /Craig Sager, Lundquist/Raftery/Nichols and Kevin Harlan/Reggie Miller/Len Elmore/Lewis Johnson.

Calling the one half of the First Four™ games in Dayton, OH will be Albert and Kerr on March 19.

And the studio will be manned by hosts Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson in New York with Matt Winer in Atlanta. Studio analysts will be Greg Anthony, Charles Barkley, Seth Davis, Kenny “The Jet” Smith and Steve Smith. Doug Gottlieb joins the New York crew for the Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight.

Here’s the CBS/Turner announcement.

CBS Sports and Turner Sports Return All-Star Line-up of Broadcast Teams for Coverage of 2013 NCAA® Division I Men’s Basketball Championship

?Turner Sports and CBS Sports today announces its lineup of broadcast teams for the third year of combined coverage of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship. Once again, CBS Sports and Turner Sports provide live, full national coverage of the tournament’s 67 games across four national television networks – TBS, CBS, TNT and truTV – as well as across multiple platforms including NCAA March Madness Live®.

The tournament tips off on Tuesday, March 19 and Wednesday, March 20 with the NCAA FIRST FOUR™ on truTV Presented by Northwestern Mutual. Marv Albert and Steve Kerr will be courtside calling the action from Dayton, Ohio on March 19, with Craig Sager reporting. Wednesday’s FIRST FOUR broadcast team, which will also call the second and third round games from the Dayton site, will be announced on Selection Sunday.

For the third consecutive year Jim Nantz, Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr and reporter Tracy Wolfson will team up for the Final Four® and National Championship game live from Atlanta, Ga. on Saturday, April 6 and Monday, April 8.

Joining this year’s announcer line-up are Doug Gottlieb, who will serve as a game and studio analyst, and courtside reporters Rachel Nichols and Allie LaForce.

Following are the announcer pairings for the second and third rounds (Thursday, March 21-Sunday, March 24):

Play-By-Play / Analyst // Reporter
*Regional Announce Teams

Jim Nantz / Clark Kellogg // Tracy Wolfson*
Marv Albert / Steve Kerr // Craig Sager*
Verne Lundquist / Bill Raftery // Rachel Nichols*
Kevin Harlan / Reggie Miller / Len Elmore // Lewis Johnson*
Ian Eagle / Jim Spanarkel // Allie LaForce
Brian Anderson / Dan Bonner // Marty Snider
Tim Brando / Mike Gminski // Otis Livingston
Spero Dedes / Doug Gottlieb // Jaime Maggio

Studio Coverage

For the third consecutive year, Turner Sports and CBS Sports will utilize two studios, based in New York and Atlanta, to cover all the tournament action. Studio coverage again will be anchored by Greg Gumbel and Ernie Johnson with Charles Barkley, Greg Anthony and Kenny Smith providing analysis throughout the tournament from the CBS Broadcast Center in New York. Matt Winer anchors the coverage from Turner Studios in Atlanta and will be joined by Seth Davis and Steve Smith. In addition, Lesley Visser will serve as a contributor.

During the Regional Semi-finals and Finals, Gottlieb will join the New York studio team. Gumbel will remain in New York alongside Barkley, Anthony, Gottlieb and Kenny Smith, while Johnson will shift to the Atlanta studio to join Davis and Steve Smith.

Studio coverage for the FIRST FOUR originates from Atlanta and will feature Johnson, Barkley, Kenny Smith and Steve Smith on Tuesday with Winer, Davis and Steve Smith providing analysis on Wednesday.

There you have it.

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 17, 12/30/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Cincinnati — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Cleveland at Pittsburgh — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
Houston at Indianapolis — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Jacksonville at Tennessee — Don Criqui/Randy Cross
New York Jets at Buffalo — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Carolina at New Orleans — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda
Chicago at Detroit — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Philadelphia at New York Giants — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Tampa Bay at Atlanta — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Kansas City at Denver — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Miami at New England — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Oakland at San Diego — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker

FOX
Arizona at San Francisco — Gus Johnson/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
Green Bay at Minnesota — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at Seattle — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Dallas at Washington — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

Nominees for 6th Annual Fang’s Bites NFL TV Awards

Merry Christmas! Happy to provide you with the nominees for this year’s NFL TV Awards. Last year’s nominees ended up this way.

And later, this was the result for the 2011 season.

Let’s take a look at the nominees in each category.

Best Play-by-Play: Ian Eagle (CBS), Kevin Harlan (CBS), Al Michaels (NBC), Brad Nessler (NFL Network), Mike Tirico (ESPN)

Best Game Analyst: Troy Aikman (Fox), Cris Collinsworth (NBC), Dan Fouts (CBS), Rich Gannon (CBS), Mike Mayock (NFL Network)

Best Sunday NFL Pregame Show: First on the Field (NFL Network), Fox NFL Sunday (Fox), NFL Matchup (ESPN), NFL Today (CBS)

Best Studio Show, Daily or Weekly: Around the League Live (NFL Network), Inside the NFL (Showtime), NFL Live (ESPN), NFL PrimeTime (ESPN), NFL Turning Point (NBC Sports Network)

Best Highlights: Football Night in America (NBC), NFL GameDay Final (NFL Network), NFL PrimeTime (ESPN), The OT (Fox)

Best Studio Host: Rich Eisen (NFL Network), Curt Menefee (Fox), Dan Patrick (NBC/NBC Sports Network), Melissa Stark (NFL Network), Andrew Siciliano (DirecTV), Trey Wingo (ESPN)

Best Studio Analyst: Tony Dungy (NBC), Boomer Esiason (CBS), Marshall Faulk (NFL Network), Rodney Harrison (NBC), Kurt Warner (NFL Network), Steve Young (ESPN)

Most Valuable Network: Fox, ESPN, NBC, NFL Network

Best NFL Insider: John Clayton (ESPN), Jay Glazer (Fox), Peter King (NBC),  Jason La Canfora (CBS), Chris Mortensen (ESPN)

Best Sideline Reporter: Alex Flanagan (NFL Network), Jennifer Hale (Fox), Jaime Maggio (Fox), Lisa Salters (ESPN), Michele Tafoya (NBC)

Best Announcing Team: Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts (CBS), Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots (CBS), Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth (NBC), Brad Nessler/Mike Mayock (NFL Network), Mike Tirico/Jon Gruden (ESPN)

Best Game Production: Monday Night Football (ESPN), NFL on CBS (CBS), NFL on Fox (Fox), Sunday Night Football (NBC), Thursday Night Football (NFL Network)

Best Debut: Carolyn Manno on Football Night in America (NBC), First on the Field (NFL Network), Amber Theoharis on NFL Total Access (NFL Network), Hines Ward on Football Night in America (NBC)

Worst Play-by-Play: Chris Berman (ESPN), Thom Brennaman (Fox), Chris Myers (Fox), Ron Pitts (Fox), Dick Stockton (Fox)

Worst Game Analyst: Dan Dierdorf (CBS), Daryl Johnston (Fox), John Lynch (Fox), Mike Martz (Fox)

Worst Studio Host: Chris Berman (ESPN), Chris Rose (NFL Network)

Worst Studio Analyst: Michael Irvin (NFL Network), Eric Mangini (ESPN)

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 16, 12/22 & 12/23/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Saturday, December 22

Studio & Pregame Shows
Monday Night Countdown — ESPN, 7 p.m.
NFL Total Access — NFL Network, 7 p.m.
NFL Total Access: Postgame — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.

8:30 p.m.

ESPN
Atlanta at Detroit — Mike Tirico/Jon Gruden/Lisa Salters

Sunday, December 23

Studio & Pregame Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Miami — Don Criqui/Randy Cross
Cincinnati at Pittsburgh — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Indianapolis at Kansas City — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New England at Jacksonville — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Oakland at Carolina — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
San Diego at New York Jets — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Tennessee at Green Bay — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

FOX
Minnesota at Houston — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
New Orleans at Dallas — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
St. Louis at Tampa Bay — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
Washington at Philadelphia — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Cleveland at Denver — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Chicago at Arizona — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
New York Giants at Baltimore — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
San Francisco at Seattle — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 15, 12/16/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the 506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Denver at Baltimore — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Indianapolis at Houston — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Jacksonville at Miami — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Green Bay at Chicago — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Minnesota at St. Louis — Gus Johnston/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
New York Giants at Atlanta — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Tampa Bay at New Orleans — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Washington at Cleveland — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Carolina at San Diego — Sam Rosen/Heath Evans/Jill Savage
Detroit at Arizona — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jamie Maggio!!!
Seattle vs. Buffalo at Toronto, Ontario, Canada — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Kansas City at Oakland — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Pittsburgh at Dallas — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
San Francisco at New England — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
Sirius XM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 14, 12/09/12

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Sunday NFL Countdown — ESPN, 10 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Washington — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Kansas City at Cleveland — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New York Jets at Jacksonville — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
San Diego at Pittsburgh — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Tennessee at Indianapolis — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

FOX
Atlanta at Carolina — Gus Johnson/Charles Davis/Kristina Pink
Chicago at Minnesota — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Dallas at Cincinnati — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Philadelphia at Tampa Bay — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
St. Louis at Buffalo — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Krista Voda

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Miami at San Francisco — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Arizona at Seattle — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
New Orleans at New York Giants — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Detroit at Green Bay — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 13, 12/02/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, noon

1 p.m.

CBS
Houston at Tennessee — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Indianapolis at Detroit — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Jacksonville at Buffalo — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
New England at Miami — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

FOX
Arizona at New York Jets — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Carolina at Kansas City — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
Minnesota at Green Bay — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
San Francisco at St. Louis — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Seattle at Chicago — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Tampa Bay at Denver — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Cincinnati at San Diego — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Cleveland at Oakland — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Pittsburgh at Baltimore — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Philadelphia at Dallas — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 12, 11/25/2012

All Times Eastern

Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel, 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Indianapolis — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Denver at Kansas City — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Oakland at Cincinnati — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Pittsburgh at Cleveland — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Jacksonville — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein

FOX
Atlanta at Tampa Bay — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick Charles Davis/Laura Okmin
Minnesota at Chicago — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Seattle at Miami — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at San Diego — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

4:25 p.m.

FOX
San Francisco at New Orleans — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at Arizona — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Green Bay at New York Giants — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV Sunday NFL Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 10, 11/11/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 7:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The O.T. — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at New England — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Denver at Carolina — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Oakland at Baltimore — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
San Diego at Tampa Bay — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Miami — Spero Dedes/Steve Tasker

FOX
Atlanta at New Orleans — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Detroit at Minnesota — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
New York Giants at Cincinnati — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4:05 p.m.

CBS
New York Jets at Seattle — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Dallas at Philadelphia — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
St. Louis at San Francisco — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Houston at Chicago — Al Michael/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks for Week 9, 11/04/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPNews, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL Red Zone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Cleveland — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Buffalo at Houston — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
Denver at Cincinnati — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Miami at Indianapolis — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots

FOX
Arizona at Green Bay — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Carolina at Washington — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Chicago at Tennessee — Thom Brennman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Detroit at Jacksonville — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Minnesota at Seattle — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
Tampa Bay at Oakland — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Pittsburgh at New York Giants — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Dallas at Atlanta — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 8, 10/28/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11:30 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
The NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Overtime — NFL Network, 11:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Indianapolis at Tennessee — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Jacksonville at Green Bay — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Miami at New York Jets — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
New England vs. St. Louis at London, England — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
San Diego at Cleveland — Spero Dedes/Rich Gannon

FOX
Atlanta at Philadelphia — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
Carolina at Chicago — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Seattle at Detroit — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
Washington at Pittsburgh — Sam Rosen/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4 p.m.

CBS
Oakland at Kansas City — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots

4:25 p.m.

FOX
New York Giants at Dallas — Thom Brennaman/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
New Orleans at Denver — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 7, 10/21/2012

All Times Eastern

Week 7 NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check your local listings, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Baltimore at Houston — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Cleveland at Indianapolis — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Tennessee at Buffalo — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Arizona at Minnesota — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
Dallas at Carolina — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
Green Bay at St. Louis — Sam Rosen/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
New Orleans at Tampa Bay — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
Washington at New York Giants — Thom Brennaman/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

4:25 p.m.

CBS
Jacksonville at Oakland — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
New York Jets at New England — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Pittsburgh at Cincinnati — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 6, 10/14/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 12:55 p.m.
NFL RedZone — Check Your Local Listings, 1 p.m.
NFL Today Postgame Show — CBS, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
The OT — Fox, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1:00 p.m.

CBS
Cincinnati at Cleveland — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Indianapolis at New York Jets — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Kansas City at Tampa Bay — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Oakland at Atlanta — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf

FOX
Dallas at Baltimore — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Detroit at Philadelphia — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
St. Louis at Miami — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!

4:05 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Arizona — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
New England at Seattle — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Minnesota at Washington — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
New York Giants at San Francisco — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Green Bay at Houston — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments

Your Week 5 NFL Viewing Guide

Ok, let’s go over the Viewing Guide for Week 5 in The League Where They Play For Pay.

So where were you last week?
Um, I forgot? Will you take that excuse? I simply forgot. Eating chicken wings and General Tso’s Chicken will do that to you.

Lame excuse, but I’ll take it. So are there any blackouts this week?
No. Cincinnati barely sold out with an extension and the local CBS affiliate bought up the tickets.

So which teams have the Bye in Week 5?
Last week we started the dreaded byes. Pittsburgh and Indianapolis started them last week. For Week 5, we have four teams taking Sunday off, Dallas, Detroit, Oakland and Tampa Bay. And Seattle Arizona and St. Louis have mini-byes thanks to them playing on Thursday night.

What are your Games of the Week, Bucko?
Bucko? Anyway, for CBS we have Cleveland at New York Giants (Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf) simply over the fact that it’s my team. So what if they’re 0-4, they’re my team. I have to watch. And the other is the marquee game of the day, Denver at New England (Jim Nantz/Phil Simms) at 4:25 p.m.

For Fox, we have Atlanta at Washington (Sam Rosen/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale) with a marquee QB duel between Matt Ryan and Robert Griffin III. And the Packers at the Colts (Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin) as we’ll see how Andrew Luck will face up to taking on the Packers and Aaron Rodgers.

So is Fox showing soccer again on Sunday?
Yes, depending on the game and time in your area, Fox will show same day coverage of Newcastle United vs. Manchester United at either 2 p.m. or 4:30 p.m. ET.

So baseball is affecting the NFL announcers?
Yes. Dick Stockton who normally is teamed with John Lynch and Jennifer Hale on Fox is on MLB League Division Series duty for TBS in St. Louis. And Jamie Maggio, usually on the sidelines for the NFL on Fox, is in Detroit for TBS as well. Sam Rosen is working in Dick’s place in Washington this week.

Anything else you want to mention?
Sure, bucko. Have fun watching the games on your NFL Sunday.

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 3, 09/23/2012

All Times Eastern

NFL Viewing Maps (from the506.com)

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN, 7:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
Fantasy Football Today — CBS Sports Network, 11 a.m.
NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL RedZone — NFL Network (check your local listings), 1 p.m.
NFL Red Zone Channel — DirecTV Channel 703, 1 p.m.
Fox NFL Sunday Postgame — Fox, 4 p.m.
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 p.m.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network, midnight

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at Cleveland — Spero Dedes/Steve Beuerlein
Cincinnati at Washington — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Jacksonville at Indianapolis — Bill Macatee/Steve Tasker
Kansas City at New Orleans — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
New York Jets at Miami — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon

FOX
Detroit at Tennessee — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
San Francisco at Minnesota — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa
St. Louis at Chicago — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
Tampa Bay at Dallas — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver

4:05 p.m.

FOX
Atlanta at San Diego — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
Philadelphia at Arizona — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin

4:15 p.m.

CBS
Houston at Denver — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms
Pittsburgh at Oakland — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts

8:30 p.m.

NBC
New England at Baltimore — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Satellite Radio Channel Assignments 

NFL Viewing Picks For Week 1, 09/09/12

All Times Eastern

Week 1 Coverage Maps Courtesy of the506.com

Pregame & Studio Shows
First on the Field (series premiere) — NFL Network, 7 a.m.
NFL Matchup — ESPN2, 8:30 a.m.
NFL GameDay Morning — NFL Network, 9 a.m.
Fantasy Football Now — ESPN2, 11 a.m.
The NFL Today — CBS, noon
Fox NFL Sunday — Fox, noon
NFL GameDay Scoreboard — NFL Network, 4 pm.
Football Night in America — NBC, 7 p.m.
NFL GameDay Highlights — NFL Network, 7:30 p.m.
NFL GameDay Final — NFL Network,  11:30 p.m.

1 p.m.

CBS
Buffalo at New York Jets — Marv Albert/Rich Gannon
Indianapolis at Chicago — Greg Gumbel/Dan Dierdorf
Jacksonville at Minnesota — Kevin Harlan/Solomon Wilcots
Miami at Houston — Ian Eagle/Dan Fouts
New England at Tennessee — Jim Nantz/Phil Simms

FOX
Atlanta at Kansas City — Thom Brennaman/Brian Billick/Laura Okmin
Philadelphia at Cleveland — Dick Stockton/John Lynch/Jennifer Hale
St. Louis at Detroit — Chris Myers/Tim Ryan/Jaime Maggio!!!
Washington at New Orleans — Kenny Albert/Daryl Johnston/Tony Siragusa

4:25 p.m.

FOX
Carolina at Tampa Bay — Ron Pitts/Mike Martz/Kristina Pink
San Francisco at Green Bay — Joe Buck/Troy Aikman/Pam Oliver
Seattle at Arizona — Sam Rosen/Heath Evans/Heidi Androl

8:30 p.m.

NBC
Pittsburgh at Denver — Al Michaels/Cris Collinsworth/Michele Tafoya

NFL Sunday Ticket DirecTV Channel Assignments
SiriusXM Channel Assignments
NFL RedZone

3rd Annual Fang’s Bites MLB TV Awards

Another baseball season over and it’s time for another edition of the Fang’s Bites MLB TV Awards. You can see previous editions here and here.

As usual, we’ll deal with the national TV partners, ESPN, Fox, MLB Network and TBS. This is a listing of the Best and Worst, it’s not a competition, so please, no betting.

We’ll do the Best and finish with the Worst.

The Vin Scully Award For Best Play-by-Play: Sean McDonough, ESPN. Glad to see Sean calling baseball on a national level once again. It seemed after he was let go by NESN after the 2004 season, he was in exile. But this year, ESPN brought him back to call the sport he loves for Monday Night Baseball and we the public were the beneficiaries. If ESPN ever gets the MLB Postseason back, it would behoove the network to give him an assignment. One of the best all-around announcers, Sean did a very good job working on baseball this season.

Honorable mentions: Dan Shulman, ESPN; Brian Anderson, TBS

Best Game Analyst: John Smoltz, MLB Network/TBS. John has fast become the best game analyst in just two seasons on TV. He can pick up trends, predict home runs and know when a pitcher is losing it. I would love to have John work the World Series to replace Tim McCarver (more on him later). Smoltz works well with Matt Vasgersian on MLB Network and worked off Ron Darling during the MLB Postseason on TBS brilliantly. I’d love to see John get more of a national showcase during the regular season.

Honorable Mentions: Ron Darling, TBS; Orel Hershiser, ESPN.

Best Debut: A.J. Pierzynski, Fox. The catcher for the Chicago White Sox got the opportunity to work on TV during the American League Championship Series and World Series for Fox. I was quite impressed with his work and his candor. The man has a future in TV when he retires.

Honorable Mention: Terry Francona, Fox during the ALCS; Jamie Maggio on TBS’ MLB Postseason coverage.

Best Studio Show: MLB Tonight, MLB Network. Let’s face it, MLB Network is the Network of Record for baseball and MLB Tonight is the signature show. Whenever there’s a big moment in baseball, MLB Tonight will cut-in and show it live. The program is produced well, the analysts are always on top of the action and you know that the show will air a highlight or a live cut-in when it’s most needed. The hosts could be better, but with Brian Kenny hired by MLB Network, you’ll probably see him on the anchor desk extensively in 2012.

Honorable Mention: Baseball Tonight, ESPN.

Best Studio Host: Matt Winer, TBS. In his second year on the desk for TBS whether it be for the All-Star Game Selection or during the MLB Postseason, Matt is very smooth. Hired originally by Turner Sports to be the main host on NBA TV, Matt has done work with the NBA on TNT, NCAA Tournament for TBS and was given the main host assignment for MLB on TBS last season. He’s become one of the best studio hosts on sports television and he has learned to distribute the rock to his analysts very well. I’m quite impressed with his work this season.

Honorable Mentions: Karl Ravech, ESPN; Matt Vasgersian, Matt Yallof, MLB Network.

Best Studio Analyst: Harold Reynolds, MLB Network. H.R. wins the award outright after being given the award in a tie with Mitch Williams in 2009. Harold is very comfortable working in the studio and being the main guy on MLB Tonight. He’s quite good. While he won’t go out of his way to criticize, he will come down on a player when it’s necessary. Harold has won Emmy Awards for good reason. He’s the best studio analyst in the sport.

Honorable Mentions: Dennis Eckersley, TBS; Mitch Williams, MLB Network.

Best Game Coverage: MLB on Fox. The World Series proved that the Fox crew does a great job with game production. Using 30 cameras, Fox was right on top of replays, showing the proper angles of controversial calls and not overdoing it on the strike zone never showing it live. We can pick on Fox’s announcing crew, but the production is top-notch every season. My only problem is the crowd cutaways as I’m not a fan of showing fans wringing their hands on every pitch, but that’s me. Overall, Fox gets an A for its production.

Honorable Mention: ESPN.

Most Valuable Network: Fox. Not for a lack of trying, Fox does its best to promote baseball. The ratings in the regular season were down again and the American League Championship Series did not do well, but Fox was finally rewarded with a thrilling World Series and the most watched Fall Classic contest in Game 7 dating back to 2004.

Best Move: MLB Network hiring Brian Kenny and Sam Ryan. I’m not a big fan of Brian Kenny as he can be abrasive, but he loves baseball and is a very good studio host. Sam Ryan is an excellent reporter and I’m looking forward to seeing her extensively on MLB Network next season.

Worst Play-by-Play: Yes, Joe Buck, Fox. He seems to be turning the tide with sports media observers with his plagiarized use of his father’s home run call from the 1991 World Series, but to be honest, I still think it was a bad job by him. There are times when he calls games as if he’s at a wake. While this season, he had to overcome a virus that almost took his voice, it still did not help him improve as an announcer. I feel Buck is regressing, not improving. One more year and Buck can retire this award.

Worst Game Analyst: Tim McCarver, Fox. Whether it be miscounting how many letters there are in the word, “strike” or overanalyzing situations, McCarver is verbose and does not allow a game to breathe. I feel the game has passed Tim by. It’s time for him to go.

Worst Studio Show: Intentional Talk, MLB Network. This show is an abortion. Co-hosted by Chris Rose and Kevin Millar, this show makes no sense. Rose is a bad host. Millar is constantly yelling. Why is this show even on the air? And why did MLB Network allow this to continue during the offsesason? Intentional Talk needs to be put to sleep and immediately. It is one of the worst shows in the history of sports television.

Worst Studio Host: Chris Rose, MLB Network/Fox. How this man hosts for two networks is beyond me. He’s gone from being on the Best Damn Sports Show, Period to somehow hosting MLB on Fox and Intentional Talk. Chris Rose is an enigma. And his postgame questions during the American League Championship Series were mind boggling.

Worst Studio Analyst: Kevin Millar, MLB Network. He has apparently subscribes to the Michael Irvin Style of Broadcasting which means yelling, yelling and more yelling. Why does he have to yell? Why is he yelling? Does Millar yell because he thinks yelling is funny? Does he feel he has to yell to get his point across? After watching him, I need to take 10 Tylenols to get rid of my tension headaches. I love what Millar did with the 2004 Red Sox. I hate him on TV.

Worst Way To End A Career: Dan McLaughlin, Fox Sports Midwest. Dan McLaughlin, the TV voice of the St. Louis Cardinals had some pretty good gigs. Not only was he the main announcer for the Cardinals, he also was calling college basketball games on ESPN. However, after being arrested not once, but twice on DUI charges over a span of 13 months, McLaughlin lost his jobs calling Missouri basketball and Missouri Valley Conference games. His future with Fox Sports Midwest remains in doubt and he wasn’t seen doing the last two weeks of Cardinals games. Here’s hoping Dan gets the help he needs so he can get back on the straight and narrow.

And that will conclude this year’s edition of the MLB TV Awards.

Five Women Who Can Make Me Stop Flipping The Remote — 2011

Time to bring the annual Hot Chicks Post back again. The original post in 2007 had what can be considered a Mount Rushmore of Women on TV. In 2008, we had another strong list featuring Fang’s Bites fave Charissa Thompson and Heidi Watney. The 2009 list had Olivia Munn, Trenni Kusnierek and NFL Network’s Lindsay Soto. And last year had Trenni, Michelle Beadle and Kate Walsh.

This year, we have a new list. I like the women we have for 2011.

5. Jaime Maggio — CBS/Turner Sports

Had her coming out party during the NCAA Tournament this year on CBS and Turner Sports. She’s also working for Turner in the League Division Series. We certainly welcome more national assignments for Jaime. She’s currently working full-time with KCAL-TV in Los Angeles. Does a great job reporting on the sidelines and would love to see Jaime more in 2012.

4. Erin Sharoni — CNBC SportsBiz: Game On!

In just four shows of the new series hosted by Darren Rovell, Erin hits this list. Previously a sideline reporter for St. John’s basketball on RedStormSports.com, Erin has made quite the impression on viewers to NBC’s new sports business show on Versus. I’m quite impressed with her on-air style and her rapport with Darren. I was told that Darren wanted to get someone new and fresh for his show and he certainly did that. I predict big things for Erin down the road.

3. Jen Royle — 105.7 The Fan, Baltimore

Ok, technically Jen is not on TV right now, but she was earlier this year on MASN. She left the regional sports network before this baseball season, so in the range from last year to this year’s list, she qualifies as having been on TV. As she hosted an Orioles pregame show on 105.7 FM The Fan this season and is currently covering the Ravens, Jen is also a candidate to return to her native Boston possibly on NESN and perhaps one of the sports radio stations. New England would certainly welcome her back with open arms. And if NESN wants to bring her in to possibly replace Heidi Watney on Red Sox broadcasts (more on that in another post down the road), that would be welcomed too!

2. Tina Cervasio, MSG Network

Tina returns to the list after being on the original list in 2007. After leaving NESN in 2008, she joined MSG Network where she’s the reporter for both the Knicks of the NBA and the Red Bulls of MLS. Tina is also doing work for CBSSports.com on college football. Tina has been anchoring sports at WNYW-TV and sister station, WWOR-TV. I’ve heard rumors that Tina is about to get another gig. I don’t know where it is, but if it’s national, it’s well deserved. And Tina is lovelier than ever having seen her at Blogs with Balls 4 this year.

And here’s a pic of our #2 and #3 picks together. This comes courtesy of Jen so I thank her for giving me permission to post this.

Very lovely pic of Jen and Tina together.

1. Maggie Q — Nikita

Last year, we had our first Asian representation with Betty Nguyen of CBS News. This year, it’s Maggie Q of The CW’s Nikita. Trained in Hong Kong by Jackie Chan to become an action star, Q had a rather meteoric rise and now is the star of her own series. Not only is Maggie gorgeous, but she can also kick your ass. I respect that. In addition, she’s a strict vegetarian and a member of PETA. I’m glad in the 5th edition of this list that an Asian sister is finally number one.

And that will conclude the list for this year. Back again next year.